Detroit — The last time St. Irenaeus Parish did this, they ended up needing a five-ton truck.

“It was like Santa brought his entire sleigh,” said Chery Allen, veterans resource facilitator with Southwest Solutions’ Piquette Square, which provides housing and assisting to homeless veterans in the Detroit area.

In 2011, the Rochester Hills parish decided they wanted their Lenten project to be collecting donations for Piquette Square, which had opened June 2010.

“Each year we pick some service that the whole parish gets involved in supporting,” said Deacon Richard Hulan.

Deacon Hulan is a member of the St. Thomas More Fraternity of the Order of Franciscan Secular at the parish, which helped lead the project.

The service project was an enormous success, and even after it had concluded, “I’ve had parishioners come in regularly and ask to send some things over to Piquette Square,” he said.

With the arrival of Lent 2014, the parish decided that “it’s been three years, let’s take on Piquette Square,” he said.

Piquette Square was formed out of the realization of a need, explained Allen, who said one out of every three homeless men is a veteran — and there are 19,000 homeless individuals in Detroit alone. Many of these veterans may not have had homes to return to, or struggle with conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse.

“We took 150 veterans who are documented as homeless,” Allen said. Piquette Square not only houses male and female veterans in furnished apartments, but also requires clients to participate in counseling and other services to help them get back on their feet. Clients also pay a specific rental fee, according to their income situation.

But, “you want to make it homey; put a doily out to bring a little taste of home,” Allen said. “St. Irenaeus Parish nailed it — they really got it right” through the various items they help provide, including linens, books and toiletries.

When most people run out of a household item, they can usually just go to the store and purchase more. But in the case of homeless veterans, that is not always a possibility: “They served me, and all they want is a roll of toilet paper? It’s very humbling to see that.”

“My guys say ‘we just need a hand-up, not a handout,’” she said. “One guy said, ‘I want to be able to do this for someone else one day.’ Things are happening for them, but only because of people like St. Irenaeus Parish.”

Deacon Hulan said it’s also a way of evangelizing, as many of the individuals they serve are not Catholic, and this may be their first contact with a Catholic institution, and Catholics in general.

“How much are we centered upon ourselves instead of looking out; if you’re going to be a follower of Jesus, it has to involve other people,” he said. “You can’t have a good relationship with God if you have a bad relationship with the world around you.”

 

Help the veterans of Piquette Square

• St. Irenaeus Parish is collecting donations and financial support for Piquette Square throughout the rest of Lent. Checks may be made out to St. Irenaeus with the notation for “Piquette Square.” Contact Deacon Richard Hulan at (248) 651-9595, ext. 113 for more information about what items are needed, or to learn how you can help.

• To learn more about the mission of Southwest Solutions’ Piquette Square, visit www.swsol.org/piquette_square or call (313) 481-3100.